Most Ohioans who are caring for aging parents and other adults are struggling financially to do so, according to a study by AARP Ohio. And the report shows most said they are experiencing a lot of stress, coming close to burnout.
The study comes as state lawmakers are considering reforms to Ohio Medicaid, and a lot of the scrutiny involves using public health money for home health care services.
Ohio AARP Executive Director Jenny Carlson said the report showed most caregivers in Ohio are working a job while taking care of a family member or other adult. She said one in four Ohio adults is a caregiver now and said that number is growing as the state’s population ages.
“Right now, it’s reaching a breaking point," Carlson said in an interview. "We have an aging population, and so many family caregivers are stepping into that role. We have 2.2 million caregivers in Ohio. That's one in four adults, and these are people caring for parents, spouses, neighbors, and we're holding up our entire healthcare system.”
Carlson said the report shows 93% of Ohio caregivers have spent their own money to provide care, most commonly on meals, groceries, or household goods; transportation; housing costs; prescriptions; and home modifications. The report showed seven in 10 caregivers experienced at least one financial hardship, such as taking on more debt, stopping saving, using up personal short-term savings, or leaving bills unpaid or paying them late.
Carlson said two-thirds of caregivers in Ohio are trying to balance job and family, and 47% say they are strained financially. There are public funds that can be used for caregiving in some situations, but 93% of caregivers spend their own money on care.
The AARP’s study comes at a time when there is scrutiny of Medicaid funds that are used for at-home caregiving, after a report from a conservative outlet that called into question hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid spending on home health providers in Ohio. Carlson said it’s important to support caregivers more because keeping people in their homes saves money.
“If caregivers don’t get the necessary support, the consequences are impacting us all because burnout leads to workforce loss, financial stress leads to instability, and the more people end up in costly, institutional care," Carlson said.
